Headlight



HEADLIGHT Filed May 15, 1925 4 2 Sheetssheet i gwmwfo@ attozwu Patented oci-12, 1926.

MILTON W- .SHEAFFEa 0F HANOVER, PENNSYWANIA; f

' Applcatin filed Mayle, 1925. seria1s1\m30,100.l

This inventionk relates to headlights'and more particularly to a'headlight construc`- tion for automobiles 'which Vis adapted to project a brilliant substantially central road 5 lighting beam surrounded by raysfoflesser intensity to provideillumination at the' edges of the road, on the road close to the vehicle and to provide suiiicient illumination to perymitthe driver of the vehicle to detect any overheadobstructions. i Y f An. important object of the invention is to provide a peculiar form-of relectorVthe rear portion of vwhich is adapted toy project Slightly converging rays which ywill lbe, intercepted by the lens and retracted thereby to provide a brilliant road lightwhich is projected in such'a manner as lto prevent glaring in the .eyes of approaching drivers.

lA further'obj'eot is to provide a headlight 2 0 of vthe abovey mentioned character wherein the lens employedv is surrounded byV semitransparent or translucent .glass through which light passes from'the forward portion o'f-the reiiector'to provide sufticient'scattered light to illuminate ditches, etc.

, A still further object is to provide novel supporting means lfor 'thelens and translucent glass. such means being provided with a portion adapted to shapethe intense central 30 beam passing fromfthe headlight. l' lOther objects andadvantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following descriptim. v In the drawings I have shown several 5 embodimentsY of the invention. In this showing:V f

Figure 1 isa central longitudinal sectional 'view through the headlight, 1 Figure Q isa'front elevation,VU j Figure .3 is a. view similar to Figure,V 1 showing a. slightly modified form,

e Figure 4 is a perspective view "ofthe-form rv.leetorwill pass "directly through thetubuflar'member 2 5 as 'will be obvious..

of lens holder employedin connectionA with the form 'of thev device shown in Figure 1, 5 vand i Figure 5 is a similar view showing the modified form of lens holder. f

VReferring tofthe drawings, the numeral 1 0 designates a casing provided at its forl ward end 'with an internal annular flange V 11. The casing is' provided vwith an axial opening fto ,receive .a tubular member 12 which ,forms a socket for vthe light-ing ;unit employed." Asshown, the tubular membenisprovided in its rear end .with a bayonet'slotlto yreceive a pinlll carried v will pass the reflector 'the casing 10, as shown.

member is` further provided 'tially tubular cent-ralportion 25 which is' Y connected to the ring 23-byar1ns 26, .as-

Icent or semift'ransparent glass 27 is arranged ing ring 29 is preferablyfarranged by a oonnectingplug 151. The tubular memlberjis provided at its inner or forward Vend witha second bayonet slot 16 to receive a pin 17 carried bythe vbase of an incandescent bulb 18, It will be apparentythat the bulb vis adapted to receive current through the plug in the usual manner.

' f reflector designatedgas av whole bythe numeral 19 is arranged within the casing as shown inFigure Vv1 and this reflector` ispro- `videdwith anjaXial opening iniits rear end 1 v i through which the socket 12.projects, In practice I `preterto employ ya reflector 19, the irear portion `20 Vof which "is preferably ka'n e1lipsoid whilejtheforward portion21 approximatesa parabola. Itwill be apparent that the rays reflected from the rearportion of the reflector 19 willV convergeA while those reiected from the outwardly'through the front of;4

substantially parallel ato the axisv thereon` v y I .As shown in' Figures 1, 2 and 3, a support'- ing member'22 isarranged at -thefforwarol forward portion endv of thel casing'andretlector. As `shown,j

Vthe supporting member vis provided with an outer annular ring ,23 :which is provided'v with a substantially"cylindrical! flange 24?v which may-,beslipped overy the'` outer end of The supporting -great percentage ofthelightfpassing fromv the-,forward en'dv of the casing. LA translu-I between fthe z ring 23an'd flange 11, asv vshown `with assu'bstanl es -inFigure 1. The glass 27'is provided with YaV centralope'n'ing 28 so that rays of light fromth'e bulb and rearrv` portion of the re'- Y' the elements together.. v

,The tubular Vmember 25 has cert'ainpor1V`V tions of its innenwalls inclined inwardlyV toward its centenas shown,v at 31 toy provide v* meY an opening in the rear end-ofthe tubular Vmember as ,shown by the dotted 'lines in li" igure2. A lens 321s arranged in the for- ,ward end ofthe tubular'memberQfand is retained `in positionby a resilient ring 33.

llt)

In practice I prefer to employ a reflector having its rear portion formed as an ellip- '34 which differs somewhat from the support In this formv the support is provided with an outer substantially fiat ring 35 which is adapted to be arranged directly against the flange Il of the casing. A lens supporting member or tube 36 is arranged centrally of the support as shown in Figures 3 and 5 and a lens 37 is arranged in the rear end ofthe tube. A resilient lring 38 is adapted to retain the ends Si'inposition.

V'Ihe' tube 36 has certain of its walls 39 Vinclined 'inwardly to provide a forward contour las indicated in Figure 5. It will be noted that the for-ward end of the tube36 L has a flat upper wall 40 and inclined side walls 41. rI`he rin-g 35 and tubev 36 are connected by arms 42 similar to the Varms 26 except that they turn inwardly into the interior of the reflector. The tube 36 projects forwardly a slight distance beyond the 'arms 42 and a semi-transparent or translucent glass 43 is provided with a central openi ing to receive the forward end of the tube 36. A packing ring-44 isA arranged between the glass 43 and ring 35 and a cap 46 is arranged against the outer face of the glass as shown.l The cap 46 is'provided with a cylindrical flange 47 to receivethe forward Acured to the flange 1lV by screws 48.

end of the casing l() and the cap 46 is se- The portionof the `reflector lemployed in connection with themodified form of the device also is so proportioned that vits conjugate Yfocus will lie intermediate the `ends of the tube 36.' Thusit willbe apparent that Vthe beam from the ellipsoidal portion ofthe reflector will be intercepted byithe lens 37 rearwardly ofthe conjugate focus.

Theoperation of the vform yofthe device illustrated in 'Figures l, 2 and 4 is as fol'- lows: j Y

Light reflected from the ellipsoidal portion of the reflector will converge toward the conjugate focus of the reflector-and the outer vportion of .the-beam thus projected will be intercepted by the rear end ofthe lens supporting tube .25. Thus ytin-beam will be shaped according to the configuration" of the inside of the member 25and after the rays pass the 'conjugate lfocus of the ellip- 4seid they will be refracted and redirected 'by Lthe lens 3 2 to confine-them within the "proper legfa'lli-mits. The-'shape of the beam thusfprojected may be .governed in any de- 4s'ired manner by chang-ing the shape of-the yconvex as will be obvious.

inner end of the lens support 25 as will be obvious. The light from the forward portion 2l of the reflector and stray light from the rear portion 20 of the reflector, will pass rthrough the glass 27 and will be scattered somewhat thereby *to-lightA the of they road, the road close tothe vehicle and also the upper atmosphere to permit the driver of a' vehicle to 'detect any overhanging obstacles. `The light through the glass 2T, ly so as to cause no glare in the eyes of operating drivers. If desired, the outersurface of the supporting member 25 may be polished to a reflecting surface to reflect any light intercepted thereby. rllheV lens 32 may be either double convex as shown', or planorlhe inclined walls Sil-in this form of the device are aring member vvinasmuch as the rays passing these walls will form the v.upper portion of the resultant beam, aswill'be obvious.

In the form of the invention shown iny Figures 3 and 5 the inclined wallsofl the lens supporting memberV are arranged at the upper portion thereof inasn'iuchas the however, vill be softened niaterial ranged at vthe bottom of the lens supportforward end is arranged outwardly beyond the conjugatefocus ofthe ellip'soid; Inasmuch as the lens in this form of the device is arranged,rearwardly of the conjugate focus, it will'be apparent that it is. desired to employ Veither Va double concave ,or a plano-concave lens. l f

It is 1to be understood that the forms of my invention here with shown and described are to be taken asvpreferred examples of the saine and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement-'of parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. I

I claim: y

l. A headlight comprising a reflector formed as asurf'ace of revolution and provided with an open end, a light source arranged in saidreflector, a glass arranged in the open end of said reflector and'provi'ded with a central opening, la lens arranged in the path of travel of rays of light passing through the opening` in said glass, the rear portion` ,only'of said reflector being adapted to project converging rays toward said lens, and means associated with said lens and adapted to intercept Va portion of thenlight Afrom the rear portion of said reflector for determining the shape ofthe upper limit of the beam projected by thelight converoing v fo portion of said-reflector.

2. AV headlight comprising' a reflector formed as a surface of revolution and provided with an open end, `a light source er? ranged in said reflector, a glass' arranged in and 'substantiall filling the open end' ofv said reflector, Vsaidglass being provided a central opening, a lens holder varranged adjacent the opening in said glass and provided with a central elongated opening, and

' portion of the'light from ,said reflector,"de p termine the shape vof and to provide a sharp a lens arranged in onev end of the opening 'in said holder, the opposite end olf/said last named openingbeing shaped to intercept a cut-oli at the upper limit of ing throughsaid lens.

8. A *headlightV comprising a reflector the beam passformed as a surface of revolutionv and pro# vided with an open endthe rear portion of said reflector being'substantially ellipsoidal, a light source arranged at the focus of the ellipsoidal portion of said rellector, the forward portion of said reflector being adapted to intercept vrays of light from said source and reect them toward the open end of saidl rellector in substantially parallel lines, a

' glass arranged in and substantially filling the open end of saidrelectorand provided Vwith a central opening, a support arranged adjacent said glass, a relatively long -substantially tubular lens holder carried by said support, and a lens arranged in one end of said holder in alinementwith the openingyin said glass and in the path voit rays from the ellipsoidal portion of said reflector, the opposite end'of said holder being adapted to in- Y tercept some of the outer rays of the beam from said ellipsoidal reflector portion to'dev termine Vthe shape of the beam passing A through said lens.

Vt. A headlight comprising 'a'casing, aref lector arranged in said casing and formed as a surface of revolution, said reflector being provided with an open'forward end,vth;e

rear-and forward portions of said reflector.

being substantially ellipsoidal and parabolic respectively and merging one into the other,

a light source arranged in saidreflecton a glass arranged against the open end 'of said reflector and provided with a central opening, a. support arranged outwardly of and against said glass and secured to said casing, said support includingV a central ltubular portion, an outer lring portion, and arms cone n ected between said ring and tubular portions, and a lens 'arranged in thev tubular portion of' said support in the path of 'rays at the periphery ofV said glass, an inwardly extending 'radial arm carried bysaid mem-y b'erfa lens holder'carried by said arm at its inner end, a lens carried by, said holder and w i arranged in the ypath of travel lof li'ghtrays passing through the opening in said glass, the rear portion .of said reflector.' being adapted to project converging'rays toward said lens anda beam shapingY member associated' with said lens holder and having a portion spaced from said lens and project ing into a portion of the light passing from the rear portion of said reflector to said lensv to determine the' shape of the beam passing therethrough. "j *i Y In testimony whereof I aliX 'my signature.

e' MILTON W.' SHEAFFER; 

